Liquid-fuel heater



E. H. PRYCE.

LIQUID fUEL HEATER.

APPLlcmon mw un. 4. 1919.

Patent/ed Nov. 23, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M Jhr/M mn ATTORNEYS,

E. H. PRYCE.

Uomo WEL HEUER.

Liu lumi. 1919.

AFPLICATIC NvgN ATTORNEYS E. H. PRYCE.

LIQUID l-'UEl HEATER.

Aprucmon mi ulm. 4. Isls.

1,359,917. Patented N0v.23,192o.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- g' E INvEToR ATTORNEYS.

' exact description.

lio

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

4 EDMUND HUGH PB fYCE, OF NEW V"YORK, IDT. Y.. SSIGNOB., BY DIRECT AND MESiYE ASSIGNMENTS, llO. GENERAL" HEATING CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A CORPO- mirroir 'oF n'Ew Yonx.

LIQUID-,FUEL HEATER.

Specicati'on' of Letters Ilatent.l Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Application llled liar-0h 4, 1919. -`Serial No. 280,635.

To all whom it may concern: ,l

Be it known that I EDMUND HUGH PRYoE, a subject. of the ing of Great Britain, 'at the city of New York, in the boroug `of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LiquidFuel Heaters, of which the following is a full, clear, and

My invention relates to heaters and articularly to heaters desiged to burn hy rocarbon oil as the fuel.4 i

Objects of the invention are economy in fuel consumption, efficiency in heat generation 'and inexpensiveness, sim licity and compactness of construction. nother object is to prevent escape of the fuel when for any reason the apparatus becomes inoperative, as for example, when the flame has become accidentally extinguished. Another object is facility 1n assembling the structure in a furnace. Sti-ll .other objects and advantages of In invention will appear from the following c escription.

In accordance with my invention, the oil is first heated to a vaporizing temperature and in this active condition the vapor is brought into intimate contact with superheated steam, and the gas mixture so formed is superheated and immediately burned. Preferably a stream of the' vapor is formed and mingled with a stream of the steam and the mixture is-then allowed to suddenly expand. Under these conditions practically all of the carbon content of the fuel combines with the free oxygen of the decomposed steam to form carbon monoxid. and a gas is formed which is completely combustible.

My invention comprehends, as an apparatus for carrying out this process. a base burner and a superstructure in thc region of the heat of the burner, in which there is a vaporizing compartment for tlieoil, steam generating and superheating compartments, a

mining chamber and -a snperheatng comanother restricted orifice through which the superheated steam enters, the orifices being directed to cause the twostreams to intermin rle. The gas s uperheating compartment pre erably comprises a plurality of relatively smll tubes running horizontally through the region of the heat, for the purL pose of dividing the gas to heat it more effectively. y

To automatically cut off the fuel supply should the flame become accidentally extinguished, the fuel inlet pipe is provided With a float-controlled valve, and the tube conducting the vapor to, the mixing chamber has a portion extending up to the level of the float controlled valve. In the event that the flame becomes extinguished, the fuel is no longer vaporized, and the liquid fuel will rise in the system to the height in the vapor conducting tube, which is floatontrolled valve, and the valve will be thereby closed and the fuel supply cut off.

To facilitate the insertion of the device in the relatively small door of a furnace, it is preferably made in a plurality of easilv separated units which may be readily asscmbled in the furnace and which are individually small enough to pass through the furnace door. A convenient construction is one in three units, one unit comprising the base, another unit comprising the steam generating and drying chambers` the oil vapoiizing compartment. thc mixing chamber and the gas superheating compa rtments. and the. third unit comprising the steam superstructure and the upward extension of the vapor passage constituting the safety the height of the feature.

My invention also comprehends other features of construction and details and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I shall now describe the. illustrated em'- bodimen't of my invention and shall there- 'after point ont my invention in claims.

=parts shownjn Fig. 3;

'combustion urners and on its l' Fig. 5 is a similar'view of the rear end portion of the same;

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional elevation on the line 6-6 of F ig.'4; l

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic representation ofthe system, with the heating apparatus installed in a furnace and showin in sec-i tional elevation as viewed from the front;

Fi 8 is a detaL'in sectionaLeIevation, of the uel cut-oii valve and float control therefor.

In the illustrated an o long rectan bottomand rovi ed apparatus the base 1 is lar member' open at the on its top with suitable ends with upright posts 2 and 3, the latter postV being ho lowand communicatin with a longifl, along t 4e top of which are a plurality of s outlets 4% T posts 2 and 3 support tie superstructure, as vwill presently be described. l p

In the form shown, the oil preheating tubes 5 and 6 and the oil vagorizlng tube l and the gas `superheating tu es- 8, 9 and 10 are made in a single castin The oil preheating and vaporizing tu es 5, 6 and 7 are somewhat lon 'er than the tubes v8, 9 und 10 and extend ends, and cylindrica cup-shaped members 11 and 12 unite the vaporizing tube 7 with the tubes 8, 9 and 10at the front and rear ends respectively the cylindrical walls of which extend flush yviththe respective ends of the oil tubes 5, 6 and 7 and form a mixing chamber' 13 (Fig. 4) and a collecting chamber 14'. (Fi 5) respectively. The three tubes'r8''9-an 10 open into both chambers. The"oil preheatin tubes 5 andf6 are joined at their front en s by a passage '15 and the tube 6 andA are joined at their tudinal-gas Vtube ormed in the castinl the vaporizing tube rear ends by a passa 16 formed in the casting. End plates 1 and 18, secured by bolts to the casting, form the outer calls for the chambers 13 and 14, and for the 15 and 16,'and close'the ends of the oil tubes 5, 6 and 7. Both end plates have integral depending projections 19 and 20, respectively, which are recessed to fit upon reduced'upper ends of the posts 2 and he projection 20 is hollow, having a passage 21 which communicates with the chamber 14 and forms a continuation of the passage in the hollow post 3. Y

Arranged on oppositesides of the casting are two shells 22 and 23 which are bolted to the end plates 17 and 18 and serve as steam generating and drying chambers, the former being a steam generating boiler and drier, and the latter a steam drier. These shells are provided with longitudinal artitions 22' and 23, respectivelyfivhich ivide them into compartments or tubes, and the upper tube of the steam nerating boiler 22 communicates with the lzoewer tube of the 29, the Walls of fond the latter at both .of the base 1. mitted to the through the passage 1-(1 into vapor in the superhcutingv tube 26, the two arts` hein bo ted toget 1er. indicated in I* ig. 3. The

top of the mixing chmnbcr 13 is provided with a circular opening, as appears in Fig. 4, and over this is secured an upright tubular projection 27 closed at itsl central bore and forming an annulaiorifice ivhich converge downwardly as shown in Fig. 4. The steam superheating tube 2G communicates with the annular recess 28.

A vapor conducting tube Il() screws into thetop of the oil vaporizing tube'7 at its forward end and extends vertically through the mixing chamber )3 into the tubular projection 27 and terminates near the top of the tubular projection.

To initiate the operation of the heater, the device is preliminarili7 heated by ignit-in an oil-saturated wick in the usual way. his wick is contained in a chamber 31 on to Oil from the tank 32 is a wick chamber 31 through a branch pipe 33 controlled b v the cock 33. When the vaporizing superstructure has become' sufficiently heated, oil is admitted throughthc pipe 34 to the rear end of the tube 5, which passes through the tube 5, the passage 15 and the tube 9, and thence into tbc tube 7. The oil is preheated during its passage through the pipes 5 and and converted tube 7, which is of somewhat larger diameter than the preheating tubes. From the tube 7 the vapor rises through the tube 30 to the top of the tubular extension 27, and thence passes down outside the tube 30 through the restricted annular orifice 35 into the mixing chamber 13 and through the superheating tubes 8, 9 and 10 to the collectingchamber 14 whence it is conducted through the passage 2,1 to the gus tube 4 in the base.y and escapes through the outlets 'l, at which point it mingles with preheated air passing up through the' base. and this carhureted mixture is ignited at the top of the burners .When the superstructure has become sufticiently hot, water is admitted from the tank 37 through a'pipe 38 to the rear end of the lower tube or compartment of the boiler 22. Here it is immediately flashed into steam which passes through the three tubes of the boiler 22 and thence through the passage top and having an annular recess 28 surrounding the 24 to the bottom of the steam drying chamber 23 and thence through the three tubes of this chamber and the paage 25 to the `'vapor enteringt steatm su rheating tube 26, and thence through t e orifice 29'into the mixing chainber, being directed by the inclination of the Walls of the orifice 29 into the stream of hrough the orifice 35. The after bein ,thus intimately combiied 0X uds in t e mixing chamber 13 durin w ich thechemical reactions occur, and t e -gas then passes through the superheating tubes 8, 9 and 10.to the chamber 14 and thence to the base where itis burned.

VIn the oil ipe 34, there is provided a oat-c0ntrolledJ needle .valve 39, shown in detail in Fig. 8. The valve member is controlled b the fioat 4l in the chamber 42 and lwhen t is ii'oat rises it depresses the inner ends of pivo'tcd levers 43 which engage fbetween collareonthe valve stem 40, und thereby depress the valve stem and close the valve. This o eration will take place only when liquid o'- sutliciently fills the chamber- Aslong as the oil is consumed at the beaten thejliquid oil merely iows uphighly eiiicient. They consist o ivviufd through the`VJ7` needle valve and "thence, down'through the nipple 44 into the continuation of the pipe 34. Should anythin occur, however, by reason ofvrliich tlgie oil is not consumed ut the heater, uswhenfthe flame ut the burners is extinguished,itl1en the liquid oil flows-into the System and rises through the tube 3() to the tubular projection 2T which iS-ut least'i' high as the float 4l. In this 42 until event, thg'yil rises in the chamber the oatfgipbates to close the needle vulve.

Asfsli'v'hglin Fig. 7,tbe heater is set on the grateL bars of any usual coul furnace. In order tqcuse the uir to pass through the base, the portion of the rate 'outside the base is preferably covcre with a suitable composition; such as a sand filler 45. resting upon a mctillfooting or plate 46, To install the heater "in the furnace, the base is 'first put in, then the intermediate un-it'is set u on the posts 2 and 3, and finally the top unit is secured in lace. The latter operation involves screwing' he tube 30 into the top .wall of the tuber 7, putting the-tubular prow jection 27 over the tube 30 and screwing it to the top of the wall of the mixing chamber, as shown in Fig. i', and bolting together the two portions of the conduit 25.

The combustion burners 36, which ure shown in detail in `Fig. 2, have roven to be a plurality straight tubes, and I have of concentric found three'to be very. satisfactory for the y purpose. The 'tubes are secured together in .any suitable wayf in spaced relation, and are referably of substantially uniformlength, 4ut arranged progressively higher from the innerl to the outermost.

4tion with a base including a combustion burner, a super-posed vaporizinI device comprising an oil preheatmg and vaporizin compartment, u steam generating boiler an a `water inlet therefor, a mixing chamber communicating with the boiler and oil vaporizing compartment by adjacently disposed inlets, and a conduit providing communicution between the mixing chamber and the base andincluding therein a mix` ture superheating compartment.

' 2. In un oil burning heater, in combination with a base including a combustion burner, a superposed vuporizin device com prising an oil pre1 ating an vaporizing compartment, 'a steam generating boiler and a water inlet therefor, a steam superheating passage communicating with the boiler, a mixing with the'steam 'superheating passage and oil vaporizing compartment by adjacently disposed restricted inlets, and a conduit pro` riding communication between the mixing chamber and the base und including therein.

a plurality of mixture.superhentmg compartments.

3. In an oil burning heater. in combina-4 tion with'a base including a combustion burner. a superposed vnporizing device comprising un oil preheutlng and vuporizing compartment. a steam generuting boiler und a water inlet therefor. u steam superheatin r passage communimnting with the boiler` a mixing chamber for the vapor and steam having two concentric inlet passages, one communicating `with the oil vuporizing compartment und. the other with the steam superheuting passage, und a conduit providin communication between the chamber and the base and including therein a mixture superhcating compartment.

4. In an o'il burning heater, in combination with a buse including a combustion burner, a superposed vaporizing device comprising an oil preheating und vuporizing compartment, n steam generating boiler and a water inlet therefor, a steun superheating passage communicating with the boiler. a mixing chamber communicating with the steam superheating passage and oil Vaporizing conlpurtmcnt by udjacently disposed'rcstricted inlets, a gus superheating com artment communicating with the mixing ciiamber, und u conduit providing communication between the gas superhenting compartment and the base.

5. In an oil burning heater, in combination, a burner,

chamber communicating' mixing u compartment for vapor-izing the oil, another compartment for generating steam, means for bringing the vapor and-steam into intimate mixture comprisv ing a mixing chamber and adjacently disposed restricted inlets communicating rcspectively with the vaporizing and steamY oil preheating tube. a steam generating` boiler, a mixing chamber having restricted concentric inlets communicating respectively with the oil vaporizing tube 'and the boiler. and a plurality of horizontally disposed gas superheating tubes communicating with the mixing chamber and with the base.

7. ln an oil burning heater, in combination with a base including a combustion burner, a superposed vaporizing device comprising an oil vaporizing compartment. a

steam generating boiler-.asteaindryingcom- V paitment communicating with the boiler, a

steam superhcating tube communicating with the drying compartment, and a mixing chamber having restricted concentric inlets communicating respectively with the oil vaporizing compartment and the steam superlieating tube.

8. ln an oil burningheateif. in combination with a base including a combustion burner, a snperposecl vaporizing device comprising an oil vaporizing compartment. a steam generating boiler, -a steam 'drying compartment communicating with the boiler, a steam snperlieating tube communieating with the drying compartment, a mixing chamber having restricted concentric inlets communicating respectively with the oil vaporizing compartment and the steam superheating tube, and a plurality of gas superheating tubes communicating: with the mixin chamber and the base.

9. l .an oil burning heater, in combination, a compartment for vaporizing .e oil, a steam generating boiler, a mixing chamber for the steam and vapor having at one side a tubular extension closed at its outer end and an annular orice surrounding the tubular opening, a vapor conducting` tube leading from the va iorizing compartment throutrh the mixing c amber and extending into the tubular opening leaving a restricted inlet for the vapor surroundin thetube, and a conduit connecting the boiiier with the, first mentioned annular orifice.

10. In an oil burning heater, in combina- 66 tion, u compartment for vaporiizing the oil,

a steam enerating boiler, a mixing chamber for tie steam and vapor having at one side a tubular extension closed at its outer endand an annular orifice. surrounding the tubular opening. a vapor conducting tube 70 leading from the vaporizing compartment throu rh the mixing chamber and extending into t 1e tubular opening leaving a restricted inlet for the vapor surrounding the tube, a

'conduit connecting the boiler with the first 75 mentioned annular orifice, and a plurality of gas `snperheating tubes leading from the mixing chamber.

11. In an oi1,burning heater, in combination, a combustionburner, a compartment for vaporizing the o'il, an oil inlet tube leading thereto, means including av float con-Y trolled valve for cut-ting off the supply oifl fuel when the vaporizing compartment fills with oil, but permitting the oil to How freely 35 into said compartment when the compartincnt is not entirely filled.

12. i an oil burning heater, in combination, a* base including a combustion burner,

a compartment for vaporizing the oil, an oil in et tube leading thereto, a' floatcontrolled valve in the inlet tube, a steam generating boiler, a mixing chamber for the steam and vapor disposed over the Vaporizing'compartment and having on it's top a 95 tubular extension extending at least to the level of the float controlled valve and closed at its top end, avertical vapor conducting tube leading from the vaporizing com art nient through the mixing chamber an ex- '100 tending into the tubular openingl to the level of the float. controlled valve, a conduit leading from the boiler into the mixing chamber, and a communicating conduit between the mixing chamber and the base.

lil. In an oil burning heater, in combina tion` a base including a combustion burner, a compartment for vaporizing the oil, an oil A inlet tube leading thereto, a. float-controlled val-ve in the inlet tube, a steam generatin boiler, a mixing chamber for the Steam vapor disposed over the vaporizing compartment and having on its top a tubular extension extending at least to the level of the float controlled valve and closed at its to end, a vertical vapor conducting tube leu. ing from the vaporizing compartment t-lirou rh the mixing chamber and extending; into t e tubular o ening' to the level of the lioat controlled va ve, a conduit leading from 120 the boiler into the mixin chamber and having its orifice adjacent tie tubular opening, and gas superheating compartment communicating with the mixing chamber and the base.

14. In an oil burning heater, in combination with a base including a combustion burner, a superposcd vnporizing device comprising a casting including a horizontal oil prelieating tube, a. horizontal oil vapcrizing 130 tube communicating with the .oil preheating tube, a plurality of horizontal gas superl-ieatmg tubes, and a casing at each end forming a mixing chamber at one end and a collecting' chamber at the. other end of the superheatin tubes; a 4conduit roviding communicatlon between the vaporlzing tube and mixin chamber, two end plates arranged to c ose the outer ends of t e oil preheating and vaporizing1 tubes and of the mixing and collecting c ambers, and a conduit leading from the collecting chamber to the base. v

15..V In an -oil burnin heater in combination with a base inc uding ai combustion burner, a superposed va orizing device conlpris'ing acasting inclu ing a horizontal oil preheating tube, a horizontal oil vaporizing tube communicating with the oil preheating tube, aplurality of horizontal gas superheating tubes, and a casingat each end forming' a mixing chamber at one end and a collecting chamber at the other end of the super heating tubes; a conduit providin communication between the vaporizing tu and mixing chamber, two end plates'arranged to close the outer ends of the oil preheating and vaporizing tubes and of the mixing and col- I lecting chambers, a conduit leading from the collectingchamber to the base, two communicating tubular boilers arranged on opposite sides of the casting and supported by' the end plates, a water inlet for one boiler, and a conduit connecting the other boiler with the mixing chamber.

16. In an oil burninrr heater, in combination with a base inclilding a combustion burner, a superposed vaporizing device comprising a casting including a horizontal oil preheating tube, a horizontal oil vaporizing tube communicating with the oil preheating tube, a plurality of horizontal gas superheating tubes, and a casing at each end forming a mixing chamber at one end and a collecting chamber 'at the other end of the superheatin tubes; a conduit roviding communication between the vaporxzing tube and mixinfr chamber, two end plates arranged to c ose the outer ends of the oil preheating and va orizing tubes and of the mixing and collecting chambers, a conduit leading from the collecting chamber to the base, two communicating tubular boilers arranged on opposite ,sides of the casting and supported by the end plates, a water inlet for one boiler, and a steam superheating'tube communicating at one end with the other boiler and at its other end with the mixing chamber. 4

17. In an oil burning heater, in combination with a basevincludingr a combustion burner, a sperposcd vaporizing device comprising a casting including a horizontaloil preheating t-ube, a horizontal oil vaporlzlng tube communicating with the oil preheating tube, a plurality of horizontal gas superheating tubes, and a casing at each end forming a mixing chamber at one end and a collecting `chamber at the other end of the su erheating tubes; two end plates arrange to close the outer ends of the oil preheating and vaporizing tubes and of the mixing an collecting chambers, a conduit leading from the collecting chamber to the base, a vertical tubular extension on thel mixing chamber .closed at its top, and a vertical vapor con- Ya mixing chamber at one end and a collcting chamber at the other end of the superheating tubesggtwo end plates arranged to close tlie'outer ends Aof the oil preheating and vuporizingtubes and of the mixing and collecting chambers, a conduit leading from the collecting chamber to thmbase, a vertical tubular extension on the mixing chamber closed at'its top, a vertical vapor conducting tube leading from the vaporizing chamber through the mixing chamber und within the tubular opening of the tubular-extension, two communicating tubular boilers arranged on opposite sides of the casting and Supported by the cnd plates, a water inlet for one boiler, and a steam superheating tube communicating at one end with the other boiler and at lts other end with the mixing chamber.

19. A multi-unit oit burning heater' comprising as one unit a base including a gas compartment and combustion burners and twoupright posts, one of which is hollow and communicates with the gas compart.- ment, and comprising as another unit a supcrposed vaporizing device including an oil vaporizing tube, a gas spperheating tube, a steam generating boiler, a mixing chamber communicating with both tubes 'and the boiler. and two end plates provided with a depending post adapted to Fit upon the upper ends of the posts on the base and the post at thc one end being hollow and communieating with the gas superheatin tube.

20. A multi-unit oil burning eater comprising as one unit a base including a gas compartment and combustion burners and two upright posts` one of which is hollow and communicates with the gas compartment, and comprising ns another unit a superposed vaporizing device including an oil vaporizing tube. a gas superhcating tube.l

a steam Igenerating boiler, a mixing chamber communicating with both tubes, two end plates provided with a depending being hollow and' communicating with 'the gas suprheating tube, and comprising' as c a third unit a steam superheating tube com.

municating with the mixing chamber, a twopart separable conduit; connecting;r the boiler with the steam superheatng tube,. an upright tubular extension on the mixing chamber, and a vapor conducting tuberemovably secured in the oil vaporizmg tube and extending upward into the tubular extension.

A21. The process of fenerating gas con-.

pbst adapted to fit upon the upper ends of thel posts on the buse and the post nt the one endprogressivelyhigher Vfrni the inner to the outermost.

23. A; combustion burner for gas comprisy ing, in combination with a gas conductor havin an outlet therein,` a lurali'ty of s ace concentric cylindrical tu es arran d irectly above the gas outlet, the tubes e. ing of substantially the same length and arraned progressively higher from the inner to tie outermost.

24. In an 'oil burning'heater, in combina.-

tion, a combustion burner, an oil supply con duit, a float controlled valve connected 1n said supply conduit, an oil .vaporizer arranged in said conduit beyondand below the level of the float controlled valvei said conduit beyond the vaporizer rising to al height atleast equal to the height of the float valve, and then passing to .the burner,

whereby when the vuporizer is effective the' float controlled valveis always .open `and when the vaporizer ineffective and the level ofthe liquid rises abovethe vaporzer,

the float controlled valve is Lutonlaticelly:

closed. Y In witness whereof I subscribe my signa,-

ture. Y

EDMUND HUGH PRYCE 

